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The last stop before home, sung by the other person in it. A young Nashville singer named Marlowe plays a honky-tonk, takes a stranger home, and at dawn hands him the guitar she learned on with one instruction: learn three chords, then steal the fourth from somebody passing through. A sultry, playful modern country-rock song about wanting someone for exactly who they are, keeping the night to yourself, and turning a stranger into a song. The stolen fourth chord is the song you're listening to.
Lyrics
[verse] The crowd wants somethin' easy, Somethin' borrowed, somethin' fine, But I sing the songs that cost me somethin'... Will you know which ones are mine? He did. Back wall, straw hat, Stone sober, keepin' time, Not dancin', just listenin'. And a girl notices that kind. [verse] I lifted off that hat of his And wore it like I should. He had leavin' wrote all over him, Lord, it never looked so good. Then he told me I smelled like stage light, And I almost lost my mind... A lady wants to feel the heat From a man that sounds so fine. [chorus] Three chords'll get you started, Three chords'll see you through, Three chords and the truth, amen, That's the gospel, and it's true. But a song ain't really singin' Till you break a rule or two... 'Cause you steal the fourth chord, darlin' (uh huh) From somebody passin' through. [verse] Now what happened up those stairs of mine Is between the moon and me. A lady don't go kiss-and-tellin'... She just writes it in the key of G. [chorus] Three chords'll get you started, Three chords'll see you through, Three chords and the truth, amen, That's the gospel, and it's true. But a song ain't really singin' Till you break a rule or two... 'Cause you steal the fourth chord, darlin' (uh huh) From somebody passin' through. [bridge] Come sunrise I went and gave him The guitar I learned to play. It ain't worth nothin', that's exactly Why I gave it away. I said learn yourself three chords, then take the fourth for free, And someday, play it back, play it back to me. [chorus] Three chords'll get you started, Three chords'll see you through, Three chords and the truth, amen, That's the gospel, and it's true. But a song ain't really singin' Till you break a rule or two... 'Cause you steal the fourth chord, darlin' (uh huh) From somebody passin' through. [outro] He drove off with my old guitar, I gave him back his hat. Kept the night, and kept the song... A girl could do worse than that. And if you're wonderin' where my fourth chord went You're listenin' to it now. [hummed softly] Mm, mm-mm...